New York City schools

[BellaDonna79]

Right, I asked this on education as well but thought maybe people here might have actually played the system as it were.
DH has a job offer for a job in New York, starting in June, we are seriously contemplating it.
So I'm assuming our children will start school in the september?
If so, can anyone tell me what grades they'll all be in? I moved from UK-Boston over 20 years ago and I ended up being moved up a year, does this still happen with early primary school age children? (something to do with reception being 4-5 and kindergarten being 5-6 i think...)
Does anyone know the birthdate cut-offs for New York City?
What are the private schools like? I'm assuming at most you will have to register virtually at birth?
If it helps their dates of birth and current school years are:
DD1 - 11/1/2001 (year 2)
DS1 - 2/4/2002 (year 1)
DD2 - ditto (year 1)
DS2 - 15/10/2003 (nursery)
DD3 - 30/10/2004 (nursery - only started after christmas)

if anyone has any knowledge on the subject it would be much appreciated! What are the public schools like? Class sizes, discipline etc, are there any specific private schools people can recommend?

BellaDonna, ask on the All those in the US thread - I'm sure someone there will be able to give you advice about schools in NY.

Child 1 will be in 5th Grade
Twins 4th Grade
Child 4 3rd Grade
Child 5 2nd Grade.
Or at least, that's what it is just over the border into W County. We have a Jan-Dec cutoff.

The public schools are the main reason people move to the burbs! There are good ones but very overly subscribed. The private schools are very competitive and very expensive. But, I know a lot of companies offer help getting children into them.

If you don't mind me asking, where do you live now where you have 7 and 8 year olds in nursery?!

Scrap that. I've just noticed this thread is from 2008!! No wonder the ages were confusing me!!